Britain's manufacturers reported their strongest annual growth for nearly three years, official figures showed.

Manufacturers began the new year on the front foot with better than expected expansion of 0.4 per cent over the month, leaving the sector’s annual rate of growth at 3.3 per cent — the highest since February 2011.

However, the wettest January on record played havoc with oil and gas extraction in the North Sea, which meant that the nation’s wider industrial production sector managed just 0.1 per cent growth.